Buffalo Sports News

Buffalo Sports News

Buffalo Rumblinks, 1/4: Previewing Week 18 vs. the Patriots

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New England Patriots v Buffalo Bills
Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images

Breaking down the key positional battles and matchups to watch on Sunday.

The Buffalo Bills (13-3) have clinched the two seed in the AFC heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale on the road against the New England Patriots (3-13).

To get you ready for the game, today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks previews the key matchups and players to watch as the Bills look to end the regular season on a high note in a game where head coach Sean McDermott has already said he will use a blend of his starters and backups.

Previewing Week 18 vs. the Patriots

Buffalo Bills’ Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen will keep alive his consecutive-starts streak, which will extend to 115 games after Sunday’s tilt vs. New England. Beyond that, McDermott said Allen would be on the field for a “very, very short-lived amount of time” against the Patriots. With no chance of improving their playoff positioning, McDermott is viewing Sunday’s contest as a chance to both earn a victory and remain as fresh (and healthy) as possible as Allen and the Bills look to begin their Super Bowl quest.

Plus, the Bills are looking to go undefeated against the AFC East for the first time since the 2020 season; Buffalo can set an NFL record if one more player catches a TD pass (currently 13 different Bills have hauled in a TD) and a franchise record if rookie Ray Davis records 12 or more receiving yards (currently nine different players have caught 200+ receiving yards this year); edge rusher Von Miller is one of several Bills eying personal milestones against the Patriots; quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is hoping to deliver a steady performance in his first start this season, and more!

Making the case for Josh Allen for MVP

Quarterback Josh Allen is playing the position at an extremely high level, passing for 3,731 yards with 28 touchdowns against only six interceptions while completing 63.6% of his passes, and he’s added 539 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns. As the NFL’s regular season heads into its final weekend, Allen, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow are the leading candidates. Linked here: Breaking down the MVP cases for Allen against Jackson, Barkley, and Burrow.

Bills sign QB Mike White to active roster

The Bills signed Mike White to their 53-man active roster ahead of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the New England Patriots, and extended White’s contract with the Bills through the 2025 season. The Bills now have their top three quarterbacks under contract through 2025.

Even more Bills news

Discussing how this weekend’s games will determine who the Bills will face at home for Super Wild Card Weekend; how the Bills far exceeded expectations this regular season; praise for tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown for their stellar play this year; hear how rookie linebacker Joe Andreessen is realizing his football dreams, and more!

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